Lots of Americans are wondering about the signs of conflict between the President and part of his Executive Branch, the hoary denizens of the State Department. There is an uncertainty that comes from a miasmal mist surrounding President Trump’s appointment as head of state, Rex Tillerson. These are both alpha males; things do not go smoothly in the pack if they can’t learn one another’s signals.
But even more interesting than the miasma surrounding those two is the great news that the State Department is slowly but surely shrinking. Along with our criminal IRS, State is another tumor on the body politic that must be reduced to a manageable size.
Bill Whittle’s triumvirate has hopeful statistics on the sinking of the unsinkable flotsam in Foggy Bottom. Pay attention to the numbers:
For those not familiar with these gentlemen, here’s some information on each commentator.
| 1. | Bill Whittle is the most well-known of the three. He recently married an immigrant from Russia. Better late than never. Here’s his wiki. | |
| 2. | Scott Ott is better-known from the old days as ScrappleFace. Back when we finally had enough bandwidth to access the wider reaches of the internet and to create Gates of Vienna, both the Baron and I immediately found his satire to be spot on. He is/was a satirist of some renown in conservative circles, writing under his pen name. Until these Three Musketeers began doing videos for Pajamas Media (before striking out on their own) I didn’t make the ScrappleFace-Ott connection. His eponymous website is rarely active anymore, but I do check it occasionally. Mr. Ott doesn’t have his own Wikipedia entry, but ScrappleFace does. He probably has a Face |
|
| 3. | Stephen Green is one of the first of the serious bloggers. He established Vodkapundit early on (you can find it archived by doing a search on that title). He is an Objectivist — i.e., a follower of Ayn Rand. While I find his commentary on Right Angle often cogent, I don’t care for Rand’s simplistic political philosophy. Still, Mr. Green has been around a long time. Most recently, as far as I can tell, he was a writer for Pajamas Media, but the contract seems to have died in 2016. [Pajamas Media appears to do unannounced “trimming” and one is left to guess who is still active there]. |
Three very different philosophies, which is what makes the chemistry of these three men all the more interesting. Mr. Ott is a professed Christian and active in his hometown. Green, I would presume from his arch expression at the mention of religion, is an atheist, and Bill Whittle is possibly an agnostic. But I’m only guessing on Whittle, based on years of watching his work. He often seems much like a deist from the era of America’s founders.
At any rate, these brief “Right Angle” discussions are better than anything you’ll see on the MSM. Blessings be especially upon them for not interrupting one another. I’ve given up on internet dialogues for that reason: the constant cross-talk is migraine-inducing.
As for this particular episode about the failings of the State Department, I’m reminded of a description I read once (don’t remember where) of the differences between the institutional character of the State Department versus that of military administration, e.g., the Defense Department. When it was necessary for factions of each to actually meet, the military arrived on time, complete with notebooks, pens and an agenda, ready to work. State Department rent-seekers arrived late, straggling in singly or in clumps, none had anything with which to take notes, and the notion of an agenda seemed foreign to them.
Much like the Right Angle folks and Thomas Jefferson, I do find the State Department loathsome. Would that Mr. Tillerson move more of them out more quickly. That’s a “Fast and Furious” operation I would cheer loudly.
I believe Tillerson – along with McMaster and Cohn – to be part of the problem, not the solution. We know that both Tillerson and McMaster have made exceedingly inappropriate comments about President Trump, and I believe they are both ideologically far closer to Obama than to Trump – or to those of us who put Trump in office.
Trump has changed his tune on a number of his campaign promises, and turnabouts on things he has said he would do, sometimes within only a day or two after having have said them (like closing the “Palestinian” Authority office, and recognizing the capitol of Israel as Jerusalem). He is either being unduly influenced by Tillerson, McMaster, et al, or is being coerced in some fashion into reneging on his plans and promises.
Trump is either being arm-twisted into changing his mind, or is not the man we thought we were putting into office.
@ RegT
I mostly agree with your disappointment re Trump.
However, in his defense, many of his attempts to nail down the planks of his campaign platform have been interfered with seriously by various factions afloat in the swamp. For example, his executive decrees to eliminate immigrants from terrorist countries keep being overturned by a corrupt judiciary.
And the GOP faction in Congress is a disgrace when it comes to supporting him. The delay on the Wall is all theirs – the money having been long since ear-marked, they still don’t move. The smarmy Speaker of the House has TWO fences surrounding his home in Wisconsin.
When all is said and done, there is nothing Trump can do or fail to do that would ever make me take back my endorsement. Just contemplate how far down the rabbit hole we’d be had he not won. The Left would be on steroids.
Every single day of his presidency is incomparably better than Hillary’s would be: despite the chaos, tweets, super-ego of his, family involvement etc. – every single minute of this mess is better than anything what the Clinton’s would have brought had she won.
Things spek for themselves. The Tomahawk strike on the airfield in Sovereign Syria ; the shooting down of a Syrian Jet in the skies of Syria by the US; and the signing of the bogus Sanctions Bill against Russia is all the proof I need to come to a conclusion that Trump is at best : ” Junior Varsity ” domestically…….and a complete sell out in the International Arena. Too bad; he certainly waqs a forceful nominee when he was running for the JOB. Just another Actor.
Cannot agree! Trump is at war with the traitors within “The Swamp”. We have our own versions in UK currently ruining our attempts to leave the EuroSoviet. Trump has the makings of a great President and he will be back for 2020 we hope!
In the West across the USA and Europe a huge Social War is underway, although people seem not to realise. We are fighting the scum that once favoured the USSR. Antonio Gramsci is their Bible and as yet we are not shooting at each other but I suspect it will come in the end, especially if Trump is “impeached” and “Brexit” denied.
Everybody I know is getting very angry at the increasingly overt denial of Parliamentary democracy and the favour show to sworn enemies of the West and its superior civilisation.
The Moslems are but a symptom- a serious one but without the scum trying to destroy nation states like Soros and certain banks, the followers of Mohammed would not present the problem they do. and always have but have been kept in check by strong Christianity and traditional law native to UK and USA- Common Law.
My guess is that sooner than we think, a civil war will take place in UK and USA and with the same enemy The repulsive Left, the same ones that tried to sell out Europe in the 1968 “Summer of love”. I have fought these oiks since that summer and have never forgiven them and never will.
The enemy then as it is now- is Communism now morphed into “Progressivism”…..Enemies of freedom. Islam is but a sideshow in reality. The left are the real threat as they were in 1968. Never forget these ageing campus revolutionaries and their perversions of truth and liberty.
ну-ка брысь под лавку, вредоносное существо.
it’s not secret anymore who you are and what you do.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-5117723/Nick-Robinson-Putin-using-fake-news-weaken-West.html
…
Your standard of “proof” is pretty pathetic. The presidency doesn’t give Trump or anyone else superhuman, dictatorial powers. If the administrative deep state doesn’t want the changes you’re proposing, it’s going to stop you at every turn, and eliminate you if necessary. Trump’s life is in constant danger from the very government he is nominally in charge of. For risking everything he has to do good for America, on top of becoming the most hated and lied about man in history, he deserves bountiful praise.
Nevertheless his nomination of a Bush open borders fanatic to succeed Kelly is a despicable betrayal. In her confirmation hearing she never invoked the wall or the immigration law principles Trump had only recently enunciated. Trump doesn’t know what he is doing or allowing Kelly to push him around. Is Trump really a strong leader?
I’ll tell you my principle for deciding whether to tolerate the imperfections of a revolutionary, but backsliding politician such as Trump, or to vote for his opponents.
The questions are
1) Is Trump observing the commitments of his campaign?
2) Are the present trends tolerable in the long run, even if irritating?
I’ll give an example. DACA and chain migration. Chain migration means that any naturalized citizen gets to bring in an unlimited number of family members, however distant. The increase is exponential; the explosion in the number of immigrants would without doubt overwhelm the actual natives of the US.
So, if Trump completely accepted DACA but successfully pressed for an end to chain migration, limiting the people a citizen could bring in to be a spouse and minor children, I would probably vote for Trump for a second term.
But, it Trump accepted the continuation of chain migration, I would likely vote for another Hillary. My thinking would be that even with Trump and his present policies, we are inevitably going to lose, so might as well make it all or nothing. Let a politician know if they want the power and prestige of another term, they have to take their substantive issues seriously. Trump, with his ego, would act differently if he knew that he would lose to the likes of Hillary or Biden if he doesn’t take his own immigration platform seriously.
It’s a giant game of “chicken”.
in such internal US affairs as immigration, race relations and law and order, Trump looks better than Obama.
in foreign policy, his actions are bordering with treason, same way as Obama’s.
the difference is, Obama was sort of tribal Islamo-Marxist chieftan, educated and driven by the vulgar delusions of lowest-denominator “justice”.
whereas Trump is simply a foreign spy, puppet “in clever and strong hands”.
…
Islam may seem quite normal after the antics of the current power sharers! This is the danger to all of us and I do not exclude Moslems. The excesses of demands by hysterical “Social Justice Warriors” that increasingly deny Reality as in “gender” and weirder and stranger “Identity politics” and apply totally subjective interpretations of the Law, that was once objective standard of proof- “Innocent until proven intent” beyond reasonable doubt, has been replaced by Twitter Mob terror as existed in 1789 Paris.
Islam will become increasingly attractive as the likes of Christian clergy push gender theory that makes an utter nonsense of fact.
What remains of the Christian Church, even in Roman Catholicism is a sick parody of what it should be and was once. Under the modern Marxist “Pope” anything goes. Archbishop Welby and the “kool” clergy of the “Church of England” favours “Trans” this and that along with May’s supposed “British Values” that are dangerously drifting towards acceptance of paedophilia and a lot more besides.
“Multiculturalism” is the exact antithesis of Islamism. Two ends of the same sick slick pole.
May is a Trotskyite Fellow Traveller, as is what passes for the Tory Party- a sick joke and well beyond its sell by date. I am old fashioned Clergy but unappealing to the louche trendies of today. We will not compromise our faith. Christ is far superior to anything Multicultural or May’s “British Values”- values we reject. A nation or authority that seeks to utilise and harm children for political gain is a demented and sick doomed nation. Not one political Party represents the British People now and I will not give any credibility until it returns to the Laws and faith of England that has saved this country time and again.
I may offend many but Mind over Matter. I don’t care and my detractors do not matter. May God forgive them and only He can.
“old fashioned Clergy” offering “Mind over Matter”…
you are, likely, very distinguished Imam.
🙂
I share country with you and despite I’m foreigner, I love this country.
unfortunately what I see is that “British People” are hopelessly divided.
significant part of population is confused or nihilist.
another part is imported/invading barbarians with clear goal of parasitism or/and hegemony.
in that, the first – the nihilist – group is their allies.
yet another part is instinctively following civilized rules.
out of inertia, largely.
this culture’s reproduction is weakened, many become confused.
but, society’s logistics and structure are based upon them, – if they undermined, everything falls.
not useless “Mind over Matter” is needed, but clear program for that progressive/productive group.
in terms of better self-definition, strategies, alliances, and with the goal of long-term containment of regressive groups.
although I afraid all that is far beyond interests of “Clergy”, or maybe even in contradiction to some.
…
Soli Christos
Soli Scriptura
Soli Fides
Soli Gratia
Sola Gloria Deus
Anything else is perversion, prevarication, or both.
Amen
are you ready to punish those who disbelieve?
or encourage others to deliver punishment?
this is key question, not the credo itself.
…
Acuara does not imply that, AY. But you keep on provoking. In the joint effort to defend ourselves against moslems, please don’t provoke too much.
All that I am saying is that the five solas that I posted and that Martin Luther posted 500 years ago, are really all that matters.
God has given us the gift of free will. We are free to choose to be with God or to be without Him. I cannot either make that choice for you or judge you for the choice you have made. That is entirely between you and God.
The difference between that which is of God an that which is not is the stark reality of that which is of God valuing the individual while that which is not of God valuing only the collective. I am a member of the Body of Christ and as such an individual. A Moslem is merely a part of the house of the submitted (Dar al Salaam) and a Marxist is merely a member of the State (Groucho and Beppo excepted).
Therein lies the difference, the worship of God as an individual creation of God, or the worship of the State or House as simply another member unit of it. I have lived in a commune and I departed as I learned how my individuality was being trampled. I prefer standing before the Throne of Grace and I am not ashamed of the choice that I have made. Your preferences and choices are your own. I hope that you choose well and choose life.
acuara
I’m not attracted to your credo, directly.
But your choice of words was good.
This is the time, and places, where truth, honesty, charity are in short supply.
You can count on people like me.
…